Adjustable sanitary cuspidor.



APPLIGATION FILED MAY 5, 1914.

Patented Aug. 4, 191 1 ALSJALQJL (liter/mm 'I'HE NORRIS PETERS CO. PNOTD'LITHO. WASHINGTON, I) C JAMES H. SMITH, 0F BUGKEYSTOWN, MARYLAND.

ADJUSTABLE SANITARY CUSPIDOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

Application filed. May 5, 1914. Serial No. 836,484.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. SMITH, citizen of the United States, residing at Buckeystown, in the county of Frederick and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Sanitary Cuspidors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cuspldors and stands therefor, the object of the invention being to provide a cuspidor and stand which embody novel features of construction whereby the cuspidor is held in an elevated position and can be raised and lowered as desired, and also whereby the cuspidor can be readily removed and cleaned so as to be kept in a sanitary condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character whi ch is comparatively simple and inerrpensivean its construction, which can be quickly ad]usted to suit individual requirements, which can be dismounted and packed in a small amount of space for storage or shipment, and which includes a novel manner of mounting the cover whereby the cover can be opened either by the hand or by the foot.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in Which:--

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cuspidor and stand constructed in accordance with the invention, portions being broken away and shown in section to more clearly illustrate the invention and the cuspidor being shown in a raised position by full lines and in a lowered position by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through a slightly modified form of the cuspidor and stand, the position of the parts when the cover is moved upwardly being indicated by dotted lines, while the position of the connecting rod when it is not desired to use the foot operating mechanism is indicated by dot and dash lines. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the embodiment of the invention shown by Fig. 1. Fig. i is a detail view of the cuspidor supporting frame, portions being broken away.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and, indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a base which may be of any suitable construction and is preferably of rather heavy material so as to impart stability to the entire device and prevent the device from being accidentally knocked over. Projecting upwardly from the central portion of the base 1 is a tubular standard 2, the said standard being detachably connected to the base so as to be readily disconnected therefrom for packing or storing purposes, and being shown in the present instance as haiing a threaded connection with the base at Loosely received within the tubular standard 2 so as to telescope therein is a rod 4, a set screw 5 being provided for engaging the rod to clamp the same in an adjusted position. The upper end of the rod 4 is reduced to provide a threaded stem 6 which engages a correspondingly threaded opening at the center of a cuspidor supporting frame which is composed of a series of radially projecting arms 7 intersecting at the center thereof. WVith this construction it will be seen that the cuspidor supporting frame is detachably connected to the telescoping rod t so that it can be readily removed therefrom when it is desired to dismount the stand. The ends of the radial arms 7 terminate in upwardly projecting sprin extensions or fingers 8 which cooperate tierewith to form a skeleton frame or basket adapted to receive the cuspidor body 9. An annular rib or enlargement 10 extends around the cuspidor body 9 and is adapted to be engaged by the hooked ends 8 of the spring fingers 8 so as to retain the cuspidor firmly in position upon the frame and hold it against accidental displacement, although the cuspidor can be forcibly removed at any time when it is desired to clean the same. The flared extremities 8 of the spring fingers 8 cooperate with the annular rib 10 to force the spring fingers outwardly as the cuspidor is placed in positionv upon the supporting frame, the hooked ends 8 of the spring fingers snapping over the rib 10 when the cuspidor is finally seated upon the supporting frame. The cuspidor body can be readily dismounted either by placing the foot upon the base 1 and pulling the cuspidor upwardly, or by bending the spring fingers out with the hand preparatory to removing the cuspidor.

For sanitary reasons it is preferable to provide the cuspidor with a cover such as is indicated at 11, said cover being hinged to one side of the cuspidor body at 12, and being provided with a knob or finger piece 13. The cover may be allowed to drop into a closed position entirely by the action of gravity, or a suitable spring 14 may be provided for normally holding the cover yieldably in a closed position. Projecting from the hinge side of the cover 11 is a lug 15 which is connected by a suitable connecting rod to a foot lever 16 which is pivoted upon the base 1 as indicated at 17. This connecting rod is necessarily extensible so that it can be properly adjusted as the cuspidor is raised and lowered, and for the purpose of illustration this extensible connecting rod has been shown as composed of the tubular arm 18 which is pivotally connected at 19 to the foot lever 16, and the rod 20 which telescopes within the tubular member 18 and is held in an adjusted position by the set screw 21. The upper end of the rod. 20 passes loosely through an opening 22 in the lug 15 and terminates in a suitable head 23 which engages the upper face of the lug 15. When the foot lever 16 is operated the connecting rod pulls downwardly upon the lug 15 so as to swing the cover 11 upwardly into an open position, although as soon as the foot lever is released the cover again drops into a closed position. The cuspidor is thus closed at all times except when in immedi ate use and from a sanitary standpoint this is an important consideration. The cover 11 can also be opened by the hand, if so desired, the lug 15 of the cover then moving downwardly upon the rod 20 without any necessity for moving the foot lever.

A slight modification is indicated by Fig. 2 in which the foot lever 16 instead of being pivotally mounted upon the base 1, is pivotally mounted at 17 on one side of the tubular standard 2. The extensible connecting rod is composed as in the previous instance of the tubular member 18 and rod 20, the upper end of the rod being shown as hooked at 20 for engagement with the hinge lug 15 of the cover. The operation of the device through the medium of the foot lever is just as previously described, although should it be desired to temporarily dispense with the foot lever, a keeper 24-, is prrvided at the top of the tubular standard 2 for holding the connecting rod in an out of the way position. The rod 20 would be entirely withdrawn from the tubular member 18, the end thereof passed through the keeper 2% and then telescoped within the tubular member 18. The parts of the extensible connecting rod would then be held in an out of the way position, as indicated by dot and dash lines on Fig. 2.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the character described including a base, an extensible standard projecting upwardly from the base, a supporting frame applied to the upper end of the standard and formed with radial arms terminating in upwardly extending spring fingers having hooked ends, a cuspidor resting removably upon the supporting frame and formed with an annular rib engaged by the hooked ends of the spring fingers, a hinged cover for the cuspidor, a lug projecting from the hinged side of the cover, a foot lever, and an extensible connection between the foot lever and the lug of the cover.

2. A device of the character described including a base, an extensible standard projecting upwardly from the base, a support ing frame upon the standard, a cuspidor mounted upon the supporting frame, means for securing an interlocking connection between the cuspidor and the supporting frame, a hinged cover for the cuspidor, a lug projecting from the hinged side of the cover, a foot lever, and an extensible connecting rod between the foot lever and the lug of the cover.

3. A device of the character described including a base, a standard projecting upwardly from the base, a supporting frame at the upper end of the standard, a cuspidor resting upon the supporting frame, means for retaining the cuspidor in position upon the supporting frame, a hinged cover for the cuspidor, a foot lever, a connecting rod between the foot lever and cover for operating the latter, and means upon the standard for engaging the connecting rod to hold it in an out of the way position when not in use.

4:. A device of the character described including a base, an extensible standard project-ing from the base, a supporting frame upon the standard, a cuspido-r resting upon the supporting frame, means for retaining the cuspidor in position upon the supporting frame, a hinged cover for the cuspidor, a lug projecting from the hinged side of the cover, a foot lever, an extensible connecting rod between the foot lever and the lug of the cover, and means upon the standard for engaging the connecting rod to hold it in an out of the way position when not in use.

5. A device of the character described including a base, a tubular standard projecting from the base, a rod telescoping within the tubular standard, means for locking the 10 Ver and the lug of the cover, and a keeper upon the tubular standard adapted to engage the connecting rod to hold 1t in an out of the Way position when not in use.

Intestimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES H. SMITH.

\Vitnesses J. T. THOMAS, J. PAUL C. WILLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

